A fast-paced tale for older teens, trading off first person chapters by Josh, a normal surfer guy in a coastal California city until his mom's scuzzba...moreA fast-paced tale for older teens, trading off first person chapters by Josh, a normal surfer guy in a coastal California city until his mom's scuzzball of a boyfriend tries to hit him, and he turns into a mountain lion and mauls the guy, and Marina, his best friend, who has a couple of secrets--one of which is her crush on Josh.
Josh has become a Wilding, a shapeshifter who can switch back and forth between his animal shape and human. For some reason it's been happening to local teens, no one knows why--including the older Wildings, hitherto living under the radar as far as Josh was concerned.
Josh, Marina, and a surfer named Desmond have a band, though they haven't played for anyone but themselves, or even picked a name. They surf and skate together. Josh goes to them first, once he learns a bit about Wildings. He is scared to tell his mom, even after she kicks out the boyfriend when Josh tells her about the abuse.
The supposed attack of a wild lion at Josh's home, and his having gone missing, nets media news, which in turn gets all over high school. Josh has to cope with that, and with his new ability, and then with meeting a Wilding girl, Elzie, with whom he shares instant attraction. That's when the FBI shows up, and starts stalking everyone. Josh tries to keep his head down and act normal, not easy when he's confronted at school, has to deal with secrets and emotional issues--and that's when he gets snatched.
The pacing goes ballistic at that point, and stays strong to the end. I liked the characters (especially the fact that not everybody is white bread, which is true to most SoCal high schools today), I liked the entanglement of secrets and emotions, and how the kids tried to deal. The whole Wildings thing is exciting, well thought out, and while this tale ends on a satisfactory note (yay!) there are plenty of questions left open for a series.
I would have loved this as a teen--there is some teen sex, but it's true to the age, handled matter-of-factly and not graphic. More graphic was one horrific scene, which would have disturbed me as a younger teen, but mileage varies on these things: as always, adults ought to read it first and decide whether or not to share it with their kids. I would have no hesitation recommending it to my son. (And this book might actually be a way in for boys to read urban fantasy.) (less)
I looked forward to this book so much, as his Armageddon Rag is one of my favorites. Sadly, I realized that I am not the audience for this book, proba...moreI looked forward to this book so much, as his Armageddon Rag is one of my favorites. Sadly, I realized that I am not the audience for this book, probably for this series, though I will wait and see what people think when it is done.
I never like jeopardy of the innocents, but I can brace myself if other aspects of the novel pull me along. If there is great evil, I require a correspondent greater good striving against it; I want to feel better about human nature when I finish a book, rather than worse. Or at least a sense of insight, and I was getting none of that here, just a vivid depiction of infinite combinations of the seven deadlies. So: did not finish, not for me.
There were a few books I skipped reading in my local library, and this was one. Most of the books I skipped were boys' sports, or monster books, but a...moreThere were a few books I skipped reading in my local library, and this was one. Most of the books I skipped were boys' sports, or monster books, but also I tended to skip anything illustrated by Lois Lenski. Illustrations were too integral to the story for me, and if I didn't like the cover art or the frontispiece, I often wouldn't read a book until talked into it.
Yep, I missed some good books that way; I still haven't read the "Limberlost" books, which I remember taking down, looking at, and hating the drawings so much back it would go on the shelves.
Betsy-Tacy was another that went back on the shelves, probably because in the first one, the characters are not quite five. While I didn't mind reading about kids younger than me, that was too young: they couldn't possibly have the adventures I craved.
I wish someone had given me those books at six or so, because I would have loved them. Though I would have sobbed my heart out when Baby Bee dies, as I did when Ginger died in Black Beauty, and I worried myself sick over the Five Little Peppers when sickness struck.
But old me can appreciate the imagination of this gentle book, the vivid details, the kindness, the faithful depiction of childhood logic when the kid isn't warped by PTSD. I loved stories about normal kids, when I was young--they were so alien, so comforting, though I'd soon crave adventure again. Or more correct, agency.
The Baby Bee chapter is so simply written, but in its way almost as lovely as "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" in Wind in the Willows.
Now I have to read the others, and skim my eye past the illos, which I still don't like, but at least I know why: the figures are out of proportion, like paper dolls, the faces squashed. Lenski was better with her folksy houses and settings.
Like Duffy's bio of Talleyrand, this slim book is written by a career officer and diplomat, bringing to it that point of view. Russel sets out neither...moreLike Duffy's bio of Talleyrand, this slim book is written by a career officer and diplomat, bringing to it that point of view. Russel sets out neither to write a hagiography nor a diatribe, presenting the facts succinctly, and managing to convey glimpses of the personalities of the time. He doesn't delve deeply (not in fewer than 200 pages) but for an overview of Bernadotte life, and excellently chosen selections of letters that don't often make it into the more general histories, this little book is a fine introduction.(less)
Eminently readable biography of a remarkable man who is too often overlooked in American Revolutionary history, surprising for just how much he did. N...moreEminently readable biography of a remarkable man who is too often overlooked in American Revolutionary history, surprising for just how much he did. Not only for the war effort, but he designed West Point, and its initial curriculum was established on his model.
Both Kosciusko and Lafayette later said that if they'd had any idea that they were helping found a nation that would propagate slavery they would have gone home. I wonder if that is why their contributions, Kosciusko's especially, are often overlooked, considering how close he was to Jefferson--and how he entrusted his fortune to Jefferson to buy slaves in order educate and free them, something that failed to materialize.
Americans don't often realize that Poland fostered the first bloodless Constitution that guaranteed a remarkable number of freedoms for the time. The problem is that Poland only got to enjoy it for a couple of years before its big neighbors (Russia, Prussia, and the Holy Roman Empire) raced in, weapons waving, and proceeded to wipe Poland off the political map until relatively recently.
Napoleon, under the guise of sympathetic republicanism and promises of freedom, got the high-hearted Poles to fight for him, to the detriment of the Poles.
Kosciusko knew everybody of importance of that time. He'd met them all, but like Cincinnatus, put down the sword, realizing that war was not the way to gain freedom for serfs, slaves, Jews, and other people seldom granted a voice. He saw through Napoleon from the gitgo, and came to the conclusion that education was the only way to freedom.
This bio sometimes assumes emotions and motivations on the parts of other leading figures that aren't always backed up by facts, and I might have seen the old myth about Talleyrand's foot propagated, a fact disproved a century ago (Talleyrand isn't mentioned in the somewhat lackadaisical index, so I couldn't check again), but the data about Kosciusko himself--the volumes of letters quoted--makes this a solid read about the man himself. (less)
A careful, scholarly look at the rise of Hasidism in Poland during the 1700s, a time remarkable for its changes in that country, and subsequently. As...moreA careful, scholarly look at the rise of Hasidism in Poland during the 1700s, a time remarkable for its changes in that country, and subsequently. As always, seeing how political necessity interacted with the Jews is painful, and anyone who has read history of that period is not going to find anything new. What they will find is the Jew's-eye view of various famous and semi-famous Hasidic figures, the charlatans as well as the truly holy leaders. Traces how wisdom from the Baal Shem Tov and Rebbe Nahman of Bretslav, among others, influenced the growing movement within Judaism. Interesting side examinations of Kabbalah and magic as practiced within the community.(less)
This one stands alone, between the Inda storyline and the modern one.
Things that came and went in my head while I was writing it: the usual stuff I se...moreThis one stands alone, between the Inda storyline and the modern one.
Things that came and went in my head while I was writing it: the usual stuff I seem to engage with (different permutations of love, the cost of power, survival mentality and its pitfalls, magic and adventure) but also narratives and reliability and unreliability. The layers of narrative in records.
As always, whether any of it communicates or entertains is up to the reader!(less)
I think it's lucky that McKay has a huge fanbase, because the awful cover slapped on this is unlikely to draw new readers. And I don't know how well t...moreI think it's lucky that McKay has a huge fanbase, because the awful cover slapped on this is unlikely to draw new readers. And I don't know how well this one would work on new readers; it seemed to me that the pacing was slightly more frenetic, the structure more skittish than previous books.
But that's not a drawback, only an observation because I loved it as I love all the Casson books. Even if the time seems off, it somehow doesn't matter because the Cassons exist in liminal space anyway.
The book is mostly set in the Casson past when Caddy was twelve, inseparable with three other friends (each of whom has her thread) and Rose was born and nearly didn't make it. Indigo and Saffy were babysitter's nightmare kids, but still with that Casson charm, as has Bill--in any other storyworld I would loathe him. (But in any other storyworld he wouldn't clean up kid barf and cook healthy meals.)
There is a nice moment when the setting moves up a few years, to a crucial day. . . making me want to get all the other books down and reread them again.(less)
Things I loved: that Andrea Stuart concentrated on presenting Josephine the leader of fashion, without hagiography or excoriation. I loved that she ga...moreThings I loved: that Andrea Stuart concentrated on presenting Josephine the leader of fashion, without hagiography or excoriation. I loved that she gave the reader an excellent background of colonial life, and the explosion of change happening there. I loved the quotations from letters. I loved the descriptions of Paris.
Pretty much the only thing that set me aback was her perpetuating the myth about Talleyrand's deformed foot being caused by a fall--that myth has been disproved for years. Decades. In fact, pretty much everything about Talleyrand seemed off, as if Stuart could not see the big European picture.
I think also there was a tad too much reliance on Bourrienne's memoirs, when other sources have pretty much made it clear that he invented an awful lot, even if he was the man on the scene more than most. That doesn't mean he told the truth, especially in reporting conversations.
That said, it was eminently readable, full of vivid images, and a sympathetic yet balance view of its subject.(less)
Though I found myself disappointed with the ending of the fourth book, it was mild enough that when I found out a new one had appeared, I had to get i...moreThough I found myself disappointed with the ending of the fourth book, it was mild enough that when I found out a new one had appeared, I had to get it.
My two favorite characters are pretty much gone (one dead, one retired) but all my secondary faves are here--Numa, now Emperor of the Romans, Callista, now a ship captain, the Hamster, who spends most of this one grounded and then a hostage, and the Don, and the Merrimack.
This one rips right along, switching largely between a planet with some scientific surprises (the foxes alone could have sustained an entire novel) and we see how a bunch of gung ho nineteen-year-olds could become really nasty pirates. One of whom belongs to a family we recognize.
Action, humans being human, surprises . . . Meluch proved in The Myriad that anything can happen, so I was on the edge of my seat all the way to the last page. And it left me wanting to read the series all over again.(less)
Within the context of his own spiritual journey, the author compares and contrasts Kafka and Rabbi Nachman. I wanted info on Nachman from the Jewish p...moreWithin the context of his own spiritual journey, the author compares and contrasts Kafka and Rabbi Nachman. I wanted info on Nachman from the Jewish perspective, and that I got.
Kamanetz constantly sent me searching for data on a host of new terms, or to YouTube in hopes of hearing the Nigun that Nachman apparently sang. My research took me into the history of these forms of musical prayer.
I've never liked Kafka's fiction, and as Kamenetz describes the man's life, I understand why. Kafka even knew the effect his fiction would have on people. When talking about how both men demanded that their work be entirely burned after their deaths, Kafka [page 84]:
He took his hands away from his eyes, placed his clenched fists on the table and said in a low, suppressed voice: "One must be silent, if one can't give any help. No one through his own lack of hope should make the condition of the patient worse. For that reason all my scribbling is to be destroyed. I am no light, I have merely lost my way among my own thorns. I'm a dead end."
One can skim through Kamenetz's own spiritual journey, and focus on Kafka and Nachman, if one is reading primarily for historical perspective.(less)
One of my favorite comfort reads of all time. I hope someone will shift it to ebooks so it can be rediscovered.
It's one of those quiet books that take...moreOne of my favorite comfort reads of all time. I hope someone will shift it to ebooks so it can be rediscovered.
It's one of those quiet books that take place between the wars in England. Though Jane Austen's name gets wrongly invoked for a lot of fiction about village life, this time I think it's close, for there is a satiric edge to the story of a plain, seemingly boring spinster in a small village who has, without anyone knowing about it, written a book.
To her immense surprise, it gets published. What did she write about? The only thing she knows, the life of her village, in roman a clef form. A mighty tempest arises in this small teapot, and the book turns out to be a catalyst for many lives. Including Miss Buncle's. (less)
An enjoyable look at the lives of the first three Georges and their courtiers. Worsley gives a vivid account not only of courtiers, but those they too...moreAn enjoyable look at the lives of the first three Georges and their courtiers. Worsley gives a vivid account not only of courtiers, but those they took and interest in (like the poignant tale of Peter the Wild Boy) and those who built their palaces and painted the interiors (some great stuff about William Kent).
Two things occurred to me as I was reading this, and sometimes comparing specific incidents with letters and diaries I already have (like Mary Wortley Montagu's and Horry Walpole's): one, I should get down Thackeray's book on the Four Georges and the 18th century humorists, and read it again in light of what I've read here. So much of the humorists' op eds and satirical verses was obscure, as the Victorians who later wrote about them or collected them suppressed a great deal of the pungency and point.
Second, how very young these people were, and how emotionally screwed up, yet the fate of a nation (several nations) rested in their hands. It's another reminder of how closely politics and personalities are entwined . . . a cautionary tale, yes, but when the personality is taken out, and people become mere statistics, the scale of atrocity ascends sharply. I guess it's all a reminder of how very, very fragile, and superficial, is our pretense to civilization.(less)
I have been hoping to get away from the formulaic sketchily-designed dystopia centered around one badass girl who is in love with two guys (whether th...moreI have been hoping to get away from the formulaic sketchily-designed dystopia centered around one badass girl who is in love with two guys (whether they are angel and devil, vampire and werewolf, or whatever) and wow, so far, this book smashes the formula to pieces.
Starting with a heroine who is a synaesthete.
Okay, I simply gobbled this book down. It would be criminal to spoil it, so let me just observe that this is a genuine YA book, that is, not an adult book disguised as YA. I think it can be read, understood, and thoroughly enjoyed by teens, as well as people my age, who will appreciate the earned insight the heroine makes. She gets her special powers, and Anderson makes us feel synesthesia. But Alison has a lot more to learn, which in turn illuminates all the other characters.
Add in some twists that I did not see coming, and a pulse pounding climax . . . wow!(less)
This anthology is a selection of letters, poetry, and instructional material written by people whose names are not famed in the world of letters. Some...moreThis anthology is a selection of letters, poetry, and instructional material written by people whose names are not famed in the world of letters. Some are aristocrats, others are ordinary folk: there is a very early text on midwifery, written by a woman, intended to convey the latest biological data; there are fascinating glimpses into relationships and cultural assumptions about gender, domestic life, religion, politics, and sexuality.
This is the sort of book one can dip into anywhere, as the examples are pretty short. Footnotes and supplemental data provide context.(less)
Somebody recommended these books recently when I wrote a blog post about romantic adventure. This book is so much fun!
I haven't had so much sheer read...moreSomebody recommended these books recently when I wrote a blog post about romantic adventure. This book is so much fun!
I haven't had so much sheer reading fun for ages. At the start, Meg is a reject from the aboriginal tribe she was adopted by. Because she's white, she's a non-person, and no one will willingly touch her. So she runs away, stumbles across the aftermath of a gunfight.
One of the combatants is alive, so she saves him . . . he turns out to be a rancher. He takes her home to his lovely wife Rosemary, who adopts Meg as a friend and teaches her. Unfortunately, Rosemary is not strong . .
There is a mystery about Meg's arrival in the outback, complete with a villain. I don't think the second half was quite as good as the first half, partly because the characters slowly dwindled into types, but the pages still kept turning, and Meg was terrific throughout.
The other thing I enjoyed was that this was a late Victorian piece in which there was no sex. Not that the narrative was prudish. It was just very much in period, which I found refreshing. While I can enjoy a spicy romance, far too many historical novels seem to sacrifice worldbuilding and character complexity in favor of long bashes on the mattress, which can read all the same in their superlatives. Plot, too, can dwindle to transitions between sex scenes or almost rapes in the case of the Evil Villain.
This did turn out to have an Evil Villain, but there were no rape attempts, huzzah! It was a fun romp, full of fascinating detail. (less)
Every few years I take this book out and reread it. Yolen writes with deceptive simplicity and clarity that one doesn't realize how profoundly true he...moreEvery few years I take this book out and reread it. Yolen writes with deceptive simplicity and clarity that one doesn't realize how profoundly true her words are until they keep coming back in memory.
From this book comes a (deservedly) repeated quotation, which I reproduce here:
And for adults, the world of fantasy books returns to us the great words of power which, in order to be tamed, we have excised from our adult vocabularies. These words are the pornography of innocence, words which adults no longer use with other adults, and so we laugh at them and consign them to the nursery, fear masking as cynicism. These are the words that were forged in the earth, air, fire, and water of human existence, and the words are:
I am halfway through, after having worked at this for several days, and it's always easy to put down. In part, because I know the fairy tale, and so f...moreI am halfway through, after having worked at this for several days, and it's always easy to put down. In part, because I know the fairy tale, and so far there is no clever twist on the horizon.
I don't know if I will finish this book. I really wish I was ten, then I wouldn't notice the rather slapdash worldbuilding, and I would not be wincing about the mother's death (after bearing twelve girls in a row, gee, I wonder why the poor woman is exhausted and in pain!). If I were ten, I would adore this book, as I loved family stories, and I would have enjoyed the sprightly voice. I would not have noticed how willfully stupid the heroine acts.
If anyone reading this speaks up and points out that the second half is a vast improvement, I will keep on, otherwise, on to Merrie Haskell's The Princess Curse, which in the first few pages also has a sprightly voice, with a great deal of substance and an intriguingly convincing world.(less)
Anthony Hope had mastered his inimitable style by the time he wrote this series of short stories. There's still a lot of rather blithe blood and guts...moreAnthony Hope had mastered his inimitable style by the time he wrote this series of short stories. There's still a lot of rather blithe blood and guts (in the swashbuckling sense) but his wit and heart shine. And we even get to see a heroic Hentzau--a priest, yet!
It is set during an earlier time in Ruritania's history, as the beautiful Princess Osra is courted, and trifles with men's hearts, then learns the consequences. By the time she finally falls in love, she's been dealt some sharp lessons.
It's a bit more dour (see above about blood and guts) than light-hearted, and it isn't as all as stylish and witty as Dolly Dialogues which I think shows him at the top of his form, but it's really lovely in places, painfully poignant in others.(less)
I wrote this the summer of '66, just after I turned fifteen. It's a kid's eye view of revolution, and friendship, and what it means to be a family, wi...moreI wrote this the summer of '66, just after I turned fifteen. It's a kid's eye view of revolution, and friendship, and what it means to be a family, with a ton of adventure.
This version was cut down to fit middle grade marketing requirements--a lot of stuff connecting it to other stories was cut, and many of the "funny bits" that were so humorous for a teen writer. But even so, I still love this story and hope Lilah will find friends.(less)
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